Will AI replace respiratory therapists?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 8h (100%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 8.5% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 2 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 13 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

8h of a typical shift, or 100%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment. (1h 24m a shift)
• Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur. (58m a shift)
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information. (52m a shift)
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition. (39m a shift)
• Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary. (32m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 98% work at arm's length or closer to other people
• 92% are exposed to disease or infection every day
• 86% say a mistake would be very or extremely serious

On Indeed, job postings in the Therapy sector are at 188% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 3.2% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 8,600 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $82,280 a year ($39.56 an hour), 61% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $63,660 and $118,050 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 8.5% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 154,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 8,600 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 140,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.09% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 227th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 154,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is an associate's degree: about 83% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 3 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: vocational school or associate's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Monitoring, Service Orientation, Science, Social Perceptiveness
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 8h of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: eClinicalWorks EHR software, MEDITECH software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list, a sign of how the work itself is shifting. New tasks aren't rated for AI or robots yet:

• Attend high-risk and caesarian section infant deliveries to provide neonatal respiratory care as needed.

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Critical Care Nurses (46m touched, $98k median pay)
• Radiation Therapists (1h 31m touched, $105k median pay)
• Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (0m touched, $97k median pay)
• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (57m touched, $74k median pay)
• Acute Care Nurses (12m touched, $98k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 22 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.